Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 490

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 490

“What…?”

The mercenaries felt the greatest bewilderment they had experienced all day.

Participating in the subjugation itself wasn’t the problem.

Not only the City Guard and adventurers, but nearby guilds would also participate as vigilantes, making the harbor chaotic.

A few suspicious groups mixed in there wouldn’t even stand out.

But…

‘Don’t tell me he’s trying to approach Einroguard’s mages again?’

‘If we poke the hornet’s nest for nothing…’

There was no way a mage like Ianop would participate in the subjugation out of pure goodwill, for the city’s sake.

He clearly had ulterior motives to approach Einroguard’s mages.

Sizzle!

With an eerie sound like burning flesh, strange patterned ropes appeared around the necks of the mercenaries present.

Suddenly feeling choked, the mercenaries made gagging sounds.

“M-Master Mage…”

“Master Mage, please spare us! W-we have served you loyally!”

“That’s right. Of course I trust you all.”

Ianop waved his staff, placing ropes around the mercenaries’ necks.

Now that the mercenaries might bolt at any moment, he needed to pay proper attention.

“Kugh… We’re sorry for not recognizing the great dark magic… Please spare us!”

“…”

Ianop was momentarily annoyed that these mercenary fools mistook this beautiful enchantment magic for dark magic, but he held back.

Now was the time to focus solely on the gem from Einroguard.

* * *

“This quill pen seems pretty good, don’t you think, Wardanaz?”

“Hmm… But it seems a bit expensive.”

“B-but it’s pretty. Aren’t you tired of getting goose feathers at Einroguard to make quill pens?”

“I should ask them to lower the price.”

“…Really? For real?”

Asan whispered with a shocked expression. However, Lee Han was serious.

“Good day. I noticed that the shop next door…”

“…”

Asan found this moment more admirable than when Lee Han defeated the Frost Giant King or demonstrated his abilities before the Dalcard siblings.

However, the students’ enjoyable market browsing ended there.

The Shadow Patrol hunters had returned.

Lee Han saw them and let out a deep sigh.

There was only one reason they would come back now.

“The Sea Serpent is definitely approaching.”

“Understood.”

Lee Han really didn’t want to go, but he prepared to go tell Professor Boladi.

Since things had come to this, they needed to prepare on a city-wide scale.

“…Sorry.”

Nilia apologized with a very apologetic expression.

It was a rare sight to see from her normally.

“It’s not your fault, it’s just the Sea Serpent’s fault… Everyone! Gather up! Stop playing around, it’s time to go back to the mansion! If you have anything to buy, buy it quickly!”

Lee Han shouted that and casually asked the quill pen shop merchant.

“By any chance, is there a discount if we catch the Sea Serpent approaching the harbor?”

“…”

“…”

Nilia briefly considered just leaving first.

Meanwhile, his friends gathered, each tucking a bundle under their arms.

Yoner, who had gotten a new small bronze pot (much thicker than the ones used at Einroguard, so it could handle harsh ingredients), Ratford, who was pleased about buying slightly blood-stained lockpick equipment cheaply, Bartrek, who grumbled about buying bone fracture healing ointment but wasn’t sure if it would work…

Adenart was slightly flustered.

Everyone had bought something.

Lee Han, noticing this, kindly told her.

“You don’t have to buy anything, Imperial Princess. Nilia here didn’t buy anything either.”

“…!”

Nilia glanced around nervously, then shoved the book she had bought to read, 【Wasteland Star Catchers, They Are the Empire’s Guardians!】, deep into her clothes.

“R-right. Coming all the way here and wanting to buy something is more provincial. Right?”

“It’s not provincial… Let’s go if everyone’s gathered.”

When they returned to the mansion, they could see Professor Boladi also returning from the opposite direction.

Lee Han greeted him and asked.

“Where have you been, Professor?”

“Looking for something useful.”

Professor Boladi answered indifferently.

Though the professor answered briefly, Lee Han had to let his imagination run wild.

‘Useful for what? Don’t tell me he went looking for a new opponent I’ll have to face in the second semester? He didn’t kidnap some criminal from a back alley, did he?’

All of these were entirely possible for Professor Boladi, which made it even scarier.

Somehow it seemed like there was some blood on Professor Boladi’s coat…

“By the way, Professor. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Well… they say a Sea Serpent is coming.”

Lee Han explained the information the Shadow Patrol hunters had brought as delicately as possible.

To avoid any misunderstanding from Professor Boladi like ‘Did he deliberately not tell me?’

“A Sea Serpent?”

“Yes.”

Professor Boladi’s facial muscles, which had been hardened like granite, relaxed just slightly.

Lee Han realized that Professor Boladi was feeling pleased right now.

“…No, Professor. I’m not suggesting that we go hunt the Sea Serpent together, but procedurally this is…”

When a large monster approached the harbor, wouldn’t the procedure be to first inform the people at the harbor and also notify those in the city who could participate?

Naturally, it was procedure to tell Professor Boladi as well.

But if he interpreted this as ‘What a praiseworthy disciple, coming to ask me to hunt the Sea Serpent,’ Lee Han would be in great trouble.

“That would be right.”

‘I don’t think this person understood.’

“So the Sea Serpent is finally approaching?”

Professor Thunderstep, who had heard the news, frowned and walked out.

“We’ll have some trouble tonight.”

“Professor. Here’s your wallet.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

Professor Thunderstep accepted it without much thought when Lee Han returned his wallet.

The wallet was completely empty.

“…”

What a thrifty kid!

“Just when we finished all our work, that monster has no sense of timing.”

“You’re right about that.”

The people from the Meikin Family also clicked their tongues.

If it had appeared before all the negotiations were resolved, they could have done something with this, but since the negotiations had ended cleanly, hunting the Sea Serpent was more like annoying overtime work.

“Let’s think positively. Those Sea Serpent bastards have always provided useful materials… It looks like the professors will have to work hard.”

The professors nodded at Professor Thunderstep’s words.

Since a large monster like a Sea Serpent had appeared, it was natural for the professors to take the front lines.

“You students wait in the rear. There shouldn’t be any danger, but don’t let your guard down. We never know when we might need your help.”

The students might only be first-years within Einroguard, but outside they were mages who properly carried on the Empire’s legitimate traditions.

Considering the uneven and unstable skills of mages commonly seen outside, Einroguard’s students deserved more than enough respect.

“Yes!”

The students stood up with stern faces.

Though they had experienced all sorts of hardships at Einroguard, facing situations like this outside felt different.

Lee Han tried to move with his friends.

Then Professor Thunderstep looked at Lee Han as if asking what he was doing.

“Where are you going?”

“Pardon? You said to wait in the rear…”

“Ah!”

Professor Thunderstep burst into hearty laughter as if he had forgotten.

“Of course that doesn’t apply to you!”

Professor Lightningstep also burst into laughter.

“Why would you go to the rear!”

“…”

The Meikin Clan Members were confused and flustered, not understanding the dwarven professors’ laughter.

Lee Han didn’t find it funny either.

‘Annoying dwarves.’

* * *

“Light!”

Lee Han swung his staff.

A blazing sphere of light rose up.

Though the professors had burst into laughter, it wasn’t completely without reason.

In a situation where they had to urgently prepare for such a large monster, there was no way they would leave behind a nearly infinite source of mana like Lee Han.

The first thing Lee Han tackled was preparing light sources.

The sun had already set beyond the distant horizon, and darkness was creeping into the harbor.

Since chaotic battles in dark conditions would favor the monster, they naturally had to prepare light.

The city people had hoped that with mages present, ‘maybe magic could somehow solve this…’

But this…

“…What in the world?”

“Did I mistake the time?”

The City Guard Soldiers who had rushed over were shocked by the brilliantly illuminated harbor.

They had wanted light, but wasn’t this too bright?

Was this…

Was this even okay??

“C-can magic normally do something like this?”

“Since they’re Einroguard’s Mages…”

However, even the soldier who said ‘maybe it’s possible because they’re Einroguard’s Mages’ lacked confidence in his voice.

Honestly, he was still bewildered.

“Light, light, light, light, light…”

Lee Han circled the harbor without rest, floating spheres of light everywhere.

The adventurers waiting with bows were dumbfounded and whispered among themselves.

“Isn’t he… a student?”

“Can Einroguard students use magic like that even as students? No, the mage who joined our party last time complained terribly just making a lantern-sized light…”

Unaware that he was leaving a very strong impression on the harbor people, Lee Han kept circling and circling.

Though he had overflowing mana, it was hard work installing light spheres one by one since the harbor was so vast.

‘They say if your head is bad, your body suffers.’

Lee Han sighed inwardly.

He felt like he understood why the Skeleton Principal nagged people so much to learn magic.

If only he knew higher-level magic, he could have filled this entire area with light with a snap of his fingers!

“I’m finished.”

“Good work.”

“Then I’ll cast enhancement magic on the equipment.”

“…R-right.”

Professor Thunderstep was about to say ‘take a break’ but became flustered.

Lee Han didn’t notice the professor’s thoughts and immediately set off to do the next task.

The Shadow Patrol Hunters had received theirs earlier, but there were many people in the harbor now holding bows and crossbows without magic enchantments.

Considering the installed ballistae and such…

“Um, shouldn’t he rest a bit?”

The Meikin Clan Members hesitantly spoke up.

They were careful since interfering with educational policy in front of an Einroguard professor could seem quite rude, but this time they couldn’t help but speak up.

Professor Thunderstep glanced at the outsiders and made an excuse.

“For Wardanaz, this level of work is just like taking a walk.”

“…Pardon?”

The Meikin Clan Members looked at the spheres of light floating throughout the harbor in bewilderment.

What kind of nonsense…

However, Professor Thunderstep was confident and shameless. Having pushed forward once, he intended to maintain the lie to the end.

“Rather, telling him to rest would hurt Wardanaz’s pride. Please absolutely don’t mention it.”

“Ah…”

“I see.”

If Lee Han had heard this, he would have kicked Professor Thunderstep from behind into the sea, but Lee Han was currently busy casting magic on the guard soldiers’ equipment.

The Meikin Clan Members were newly impressed by what they had just heard.

They could see why he was from the Wardanaz Family.

‘Come to think of it, with that kind of personality, it makes sense that Lady Yoanen would like him.’

The Meikin Clan Members respected the talented Yoanen, but that didn’t mean they failed to notice Yoanen’s flaws.

Objectively speaking, Yoanen was definitely a crazy workaholic.

Getting told ‘I really like you, I want to invite you to the workshop after graduation’ by such a person might be fine ability-wise, but personality-wise it was a somewhat dangerous sign.

There was a possibility the other person was also a bit crazy about work…

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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